The Joy Luck Club: A Novel
Sep 2006 · Sold by Penguin
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204 reviews
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About this ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Amy Tan’s modern classic that examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters—now with a new preface
“For me, [The Joy Luck Club] was one of those once-in-a-lifetime reading experiences that you cherish forever. It inspired me as a writer and still remains hugely inspirational.”—Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians
“Brilliant.”—The Washington Post Book World
“A jewel of a book.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Amy Tan [is] a writer of dazzling talent.”—Chicago Tribune
In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to play mah jong, remember the past, and gossip into the night. United in unspeakable loss and new hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the memories that display these women’s strength, worries, and determination. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of the matriarchal ties that they believe have stymied their ability to face the uncertainties of the future.
Intimate and moving, The Joy Luck Club shows us how the inheritance of pain and unspoken secrets can lead to misunderstanding—and yet how love can still offer the promise of reconciliation.
“For me, [The Joy Luck Club] was one of those once-in-a-lifetime reading experiences that you cherish forever. It inspired me as a writer and still remains hugely inspirational.”—Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians
“Brilliant.”—The Washington Post Book World
“A jewel of a book.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Amy Tan [is] a writer of dazzling talent.”—Chicago Tribune
In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to play mah jong, remember the past, and gossip into the night. United in unspeakable loss and new hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the memories that display these women’s strength, worries, and determination. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of the matriarchal ties that they believe have stymied their ability to face the uncertainties of the future.
Intimate and moving, The Joy Luck Club shows us how the inheritance of pain and unspoken secrets can lead to misunderstanding—and yet how love can still offer the promise of reconciliation.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Amy Tan’s modern classic that examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters—now with a new preface
“For me, [The Joy Luck Club] was one of those once-in-a-lifetime reading experiences that you cherish forever. I...
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Ratings and reviews
204 reviews
Jesse Bedwell
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July 19, 2025
I am not a daughter. I am not a mother. That's precisely why I wanted to give this book a read. I don't tend to like anthologized stories (which is the way in which this book is organized), but this works for me for the most part. What doesn't work for me is the lack of narrative difference when reading through different perspectives. Every last character is given Amy Tan's voice and not one that is uniquely their own. It makes what starts out as a very enjoyable read bludgeoningly repetitive. By the end I was ready for it to be over. They hug, they kiss, they cry... it's all very messy.
Trinity Farrell
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March 31, 2014
It was very hard to tell how she was talking about and what time period they were. It was also hard to tell when and when she wasn't talking. It was also hard to tell if the mother was telling the story or the daughter. In the end, it was horrible and doesn't deserve more than one star.
4 people found this review helpful
Fransiska Lesbata
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October 19, 2019
I was blown away reading the book. Incredible stories, so rich in cultural perspective as well, it gives you a better understanding about Chinese culture. So many wisdoms in the book. I can read it over and over again.
3 people found this review helpful
About the author
Amy Tan is the author of several novels, including The Joy Luck Club, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, and The Bonesetter's Daughter. She is a co-producer and co-screenwriter of the film version of The Joy Luck Club and is on the board of American Bird Conservancy. She lives in Sausalito, California.
Amy Tan is the author of several novels, including The Joy Luck Club, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, and The Bonesetter's Daughter. She is a co-producer and co-screenwriter of the film version of The Joy Luck Club and is on the board of American Bird Conservancy. She lives in Sausalito, California.
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